Ovarian Cysts and Cow's Milk Hormones

Robert Cohen, http://www.notmilk.com/: Ovarian Cysts & Cow's Milk Hormones
Lately, I've been hearing about increased instances ofovarian cysts in friends, colleagues, and members ofmy own family. My observation is by no means scientific. FDA would consider my increased familiarity withovarian cysts to be anecdotal. Most ovarian cysts never develop into cancer. Most pre-menopausal women have ovarian cysts. When they are diagnosed, it becomes a terrifying experience for the woman who rarely is told that these cysts are the rule and not the exception. The incidence of ovarian cancer in the United States is 15 cases per 100,000. That translates to 22,000 women with 16,000 deaths. The September 15, 2009 issue of the journal Theriogenology includes a study which examines ovarian cysts in cows.(Theriogenology is that branch of veterinary science which focuses upon the physiology and pathology of male and female reproductive functions.) The authors (Braw-Tal R, Pen S, Roth Z.) write: "We examined the hormonal and morphologic changes associated with ovarian cyst formation in high-yielding dairy cows." Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins activity was about 10 times higher in cysts than in preovulatory follicles. "Because IGF-I and/or insulin play an essential role in the final stage of follicle development, it can be speculated that abnormal levels of these metabolic hormones might lead to follicle dysfunction, resulting in follicular regression or cyst formation. The authors did not comment (perhaps they do not know), IGF-I in cows and humans is identical. Nor did the authors comment that the consumption of cow's milk containing IGF-I or other hormone-rich dairyp roducts might play a role in influencing ovarian cyst growth and proliferation in human females. Human Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and bovine IGF-I are identical. Both contain 70 amino acids in the identical sequence." -Judith C. Juskevich and C. Greg Guyer. SCIENCE, vol. 249. August 24, 1990. "IGF-I is critically involved in the aberrant growth of human breast cancer cells." - M. Lippman. J. Natl. Inst. Health Res., 1991, 3. "IGF-I produces a 10-fold increase in RNA levels of cancer cells. IGF-I appears to be a critical component in cellular proliferation." - X.S. Li, Exp-Cell-Res., March, 1994, 211(1) "Serum IGF-I levels increased significantly in milk drinkers, an increase of about 10% above baseline but was unchanged in the control group." - Robert P. Heaney, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 99, no. 10. October 1999